What do I get a blender, or a new food mixer/blender

YorksLass

Like you Jackie, I prefer baking "the old fashioned way" and rarely use my food processor, not an expensive one I hasten to add.  It's very similar to the one mentioned by JGB1955.  It comes out occasionally to make hummus or mince things up eg left over meat for a meat loaf, breadcrumbs etc so I think when it dies I'll have to think long and hard before I replace it.  I don't think I'd be tempted to buy a stick blender.

I do however have an ancient Moulinex coffee grinder/jug liquidiser that's given me years of good service.  The coffee grinder bit gets used mostly to blitz granulated sugar into caster or icing sugar and the liquidiser is used weekly for soups in winter and smoothies in summer.

Glad you're sorted now though with your Xmas gift to yourself.  

-taff

My sister bought me a stick blender with accessories from lidl last year forchristmas. It has a stickblender, then the top part fitsd into a pot to make smoothies orwhatever and anotherpot for chopping things. I love it, I use it minimum once a week, so easy to do a soffrito when the machine does it for you. I've used it twice today already to do that, one lot for a meatloaf, onelot with a leek for gravy. [My food processor came from freecycle ]

happydenial

I think my stick blender is one of the most used things in my kitchen - I bought it for around £5 from Tesco when I was at university about 20 years ago. I use it at least twice a week for blending HM soup & blitzing chopped tomatoes (my eldest won’t eat tomato chunks 🙄). Much less faff than cleaning out a blender. 

nannygladys

I love my stick blender it was a Sainsbury's own brand years ago, I mainly use it to blend soup and it's great, my processor gets very little use these days, I make cakes by hand and buy ready made pastry 🙂

Longwalker

Ive a 1970's Kenwood chef here at home, comes with all the attachments they ever sold - and it comes out for bread , Christmas cake and pavlova making only. Sits in a cupboard in the lobby at all other times. Its heavy, its big, and sometimes I wish it would die, but its the best at what it does

I have a magimix on the counter. I use it a lot - pastry mostly - or making pastes for curry. Slicing and grating veg, it does get used enough not to put away.

I also have a bog standard stick blender . White plastic one from one supermarket or another . Thats my soup and puree maker. Blends everything Ive thrown at it. Slight orange tint to it now from all the curry and tomato based sauces its called upon to blend but it never stops, just keeps going 

Personally I dont think one tool does all. My magimix , although it says it can make bread - not a mission and it doesn't make the greatest cakes ( fine for scones but not a mission on a Victoria Sandwich ) and whilst the Kenwood does have the capability to do it all - its huge and the add ons are a PITA to wash so as I said above, its used for certain things only

littlemoney

YorksLass said:

Like you Jackie, I prefer baking "the old fashioned way" and rarely use my food processor, not an expensive one I hasten to add.  It's very similar to the one mentioned by JGB1955.  It comes out occasionally to make hummus or mince things up eg left over meat for a meat loaf, breadcrumbs etc so I think when it dies I'll have to think long and hard before I replace it.  I don't think I'd be tempted to buy a stick blender.

I do however have an ancient Moulinex coffee grinder/jug liquidiser that's given me years of good service.  The coffee grinder bit gets used mostly to blitz granulated sugar into caster or icing sugar and the liquidiser is used weekly for soups in winter and smoothies in summer.

Glad you're sorted now though with your Xmas gift to yourself.  

I have the same Moulinex inherented from my mother. Only used to blitz sugar. I have the liquidiser jug but don't know how to attach it as I have no instructions. Don't know if something has seized up or just needs more force. Reluctant to try too hard in case I break the grinder part. How do you switch between the two.

Katiehound

"I have the same Moulinex inherited from my mother. Only used to blitz sugar. I have the liquidiser jug but don't know how to attach it as I have no instructions. Don't know if something has seized up or just needs more force. Reluctant to try too hard in case I break the grinder part. How do you switch between the two."

have you looked online to see if there are any instructions there?
Many instruction book available for various electrical items.

Worth a look

YorksLass

littlemoney - According to my manual, it says the attachments (ie the blender and grinder) fit onto a collar on the top of the motor base.  Push the attachment firmly on to the base and turn.  (If you look underneath them, there are lugs that need to align onto the base.)  It also says to hold the blender jug down firmly on to the base whilst in use.  The lid of the grinder needs to have its "feet" slotted into position on its bowl to lock it into position.

If either attachment is allowed to ride up from the base or you undo the grinder lid, the motor will cut out, in which case you will need to switch off and start again.

Hope this helps.

Coffeekup

Gers said:

Katiehound said:

I had a cheap stick blender- it went to a charity shop!

Me too - then I bought a better one!

I've never had a cheap one, I've always gone with Kenwood. Not because I'm a brand snob, I just know paying a bit more for certain products will pay off in power and longevity.

I realized this many moons ago when I bought a cake mixer for £100 ish and used it on the first day. wobbled all over the counter, the bowl was on the small side and the motor may as well been from a toy fan. Cleaned it up and took it back and paid £60 more for a Kenwood mixer.... Which still is going strong 20 years later.

[Deleted User]

London_1 said:

JGB1955 said:

I've found that all I need is my trusty Kenwood Compact Food Processor - Kenwood Compact Food Processor, 1.4L Bowl, Blender, Emulsifying, Chopping Blade, Shredder Disc 400W, FP120A, White : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

Just looked it up on Amazon and it looks excellent and at the price they have it on for very good vlaue, DD has just ordered it for me via her Prime account Even Tesco wanted £44.00 so at £37.79 I'm happy with that price thank you for your help.

bouicca21 I have a hand blender bo found that its doesn't really work that well with soups either, what soup make do you have as my youngest DD is thinking about getting one ?

JackieO xx

You inspired me, thanks JackieO!  I had been, carefully, guarding birthday gift money I received to ensure that it didn't become 'absorbed' in ordinary household bills.  I thought about a Food Processor previously and your post  encouraged me to buy the Kenwood FP120A Compact Food Processor.

I live alone and, when I thought about it previously, I decided that I couldn't justify buying a larger, much more expensive, Food Processor.  This one sounds ideal  for me.  It is ordered and it is ready for me to collect (click and collect) today.  I'm looking forward to practising/experimenting!    

Thanks very much JackieO and all the other posters.  (Any tips for a brand new first time 'novice' Food Processor owner will be really welcome.) This is such a good and helpful (much appreciated) Forum.